The Last Stand
by 18lzytwner
Summary: The Ministry makes one more attempt at ending the quiet life in LazyTown. Can our heroes make their final stand in the safety of those they love or will the Ministry get what it wants - the end of the Sportacus line? Final LazyTown story - 5th of new 3rd and final series! SportaSteph. Thank you all for hanging with me.
1. Chapter 1

**The Last Stand**

_By_

_18lzytwner_

**Chapter 1**

A beautiful Spring day greeted the sleepy inhabitants of LazyTown. The sun was shining and the birds were as happy as could be. In the distance the sound of construction work could be heard as the crew hoped to get an early start before the forecasted heat of the day would arrive. Then there was the sound of the doorbell which Stephanie had been trying to ignore.

"Who could be ringing the doorbell at this hour?" She grumbled. Rolling over she realized the other side of the bed was empty and she huffed. The doorbell had stopped and she carefully extricated herself from the twisted blankets and her nightgown.

"Whoever it was I will kill them," she mumbled as she made her way to the bedroom door and opened it. From the doorway she could see the front door of her apartment and there Sportacus was standing with his back to her. She took a few moments to look at his tight butt and smiled before heading over to him. The pink one could tell that whomever he was speaking to was not speaking English and she knew that today must have been the day Sportacus was waiting for. He said something and the conversation was over with. He turned around after closing the door and practically walked right into his other half.

"So I'm guessing that you have a new toy to play with?" Stephanie asked as she took hold of his shoulders, the smile on his face was unmistakable.

"The Airship was never a toy," he said.

"Uh huh," she smirked recalling some of the nights the two had "played around" up there.

"It's parked outside so I have to move it to the park. Want to help me christen it?" He asked.

"I'll hit the shower," she smiled and she started to turn away from him. He gently took her arm and stopped her.

"We have to try the new shower out. Along with the food dispenser and the steering mechanisms and the bed…" the sentence hung in the air. Stephanie looked at him. He had a look of horror on his own face considering the fact that the last part of the sentence had just slipped out. After all the last thing they did in the airship was have one of those nights where neither one of them got any sleep and it was more than likely where the baby that they had lost had been conceived. Stephanie gave him a slight smile and pulled him into a hug.

Despite the fact that they had been sharing a bed ever since she'd been out of the wheelchair, they hadn't done anything more than sleep. Both had agreed to listen to the therapist and take things slowly. Stephanie had to heal both mentally and physically before they could engage in anything more than cuddling. She knew that eventually her body would override her mind and the two would be back on track but the last few months had been difficult for both of them. She had cleared by the doctors, her ribs, her leg, and the rest of her was back to its original state, the bruises had long faded but the emotional scars ran deeper than she first had been willing to admit. It started with the nightmares and the occasional jumping at every loud noise. The experience at Pixel's house had dredged up some of the old emotional scars from the dog attack and she had initially regressed before progressing to her almost normal self.

"I can't think of a better way to break in the new airship," she smiled as she pulled back. He wasn't sure if she was ignoring his Freudian slip comment or not until she planted a kiss on him. He looked at her before breaking out in a large smile. He quickly scooped her up and they headed to the bedroom to get the clothes and other items they would need for their little trip to the airship.

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Meanwhile, the Gizmo Guy household was starting their morning routine. The home they once owned was demolished after it finished being a crime scene. No one in town wanted to live there and both Pixel and Amanda had agreed that there were too many memories there to stay. They sold the now empty piece of land to a developer who promised to turn it into a playground for the neighborhood kids.

The family moved back in with Pixel's mom, Gladys, until their new home could be built. A fundraiser had been held and services had been donated so that they could have a new home that was fully equipped with all the necessary equipment and it would be completed by the end of June. In the meantime, Gladys's home was outfitted appropriately as well.

"Time to get to up," Pixel smiled as he woke his sleeping daughter. Roxie giggled as her daddy picked her up out of her crib and danced around the room with her before heading to the bathroom to give her a quick bath.

"Honk! Honk!" The sound of a car horn could be heard and Pixel shouted,

"Time for somebody to go to therapy!"

"Good Morning!" A familiar voice called from the front door.

"Hi Sam. I'll be along in a minute," Amanda smiled as Ransom pulled her wheelchair out into the hallway via the harness she'd made him.

"What's this? A LazyTown version of dogsledding?" He smirked as the dog pulled the wheelchair toward the front door.

"An extra set of hands is more like it. He pulls, I get dressed," she chuckled as she quickly released the harness from the wheelchair and the ends retracted into Ransom's harness.

"Well will he be joining us today?" Sam asked.

"I don't think so. He's earned a day off. Besides Mom wanted to take him to the doggie spa," Amanda smiled as she referenced Pixel's mother, who had just called the dog into the kitchen for his breakfast.

"The doggie spa?" Sam shook his head.

"Personally I think all he'd need is a nice juicy steak but they are going to wash him, trim his fur and his nails, and let him run around without a collar on for a little while, so I said to go for it," she chuckled as she wheeled out the door and onto the ramp that had been put up over the front stairs.

"Sounds like my kind of day although I'm sure the Chief wouldn't let me have a day off. Ever since this business with the FBI started, I've been training new recruits and retraining current SWAT members like crazy," he said.

"Better to be prepared, I suppose. Anyway, I appreciate you helping me get to therapy every day," she smiled slightly.

"My pleasure. The least I could do," he smiled as he got the wheelchair onto the lift that came out of the van. Once they were all secure and inside, Sam put the van in drive and pulled out of the driveway.

"I need you to do something for me," Amanda said, once he'd stopped at the stop sign at the end of the street.

"What's up?" Sam asked, not liking her tone.

"I haven't told Pixel but at my last appointment, the therapist had the doctors run some tests. The chance I'll ever walk again is slim. My body isn't responding well to therapy like they hoped. I may have regained motion down to my waist but for whatever reason, my legs are not cooperating," she admitted.

"Mind if I talk to your therapist?" Sam asked.

"Not at all," she gave a slight smile and the rest of their journey passed silently. Almost as silent as the enemy that slipped just inside the town limits and headed for Robbie's.

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Robbie's morning routine was a little different than everyone else's in that his alarm clock was set to broken and his usual breakfast was closer to lunch. He'd been having the most vivid dream about that left over cake in the fridge when the doorbell rang. At first he tried to ignore it but whoever was at the door was persistent and he slowly rolled out of bed.

"I'm coming! Keep your shorts on!" He called, grumbling all the way to the ladder and video screen.

"Who is it?" He asked, not recognizing the person who came into view.

"It's Special Agent Spinelli. I was sent to pick you up Mr. Rotten. Agent Patterson said he needed to speak with you," the man flashed his badge.

"Does he have any idea what time it is?" Robbie asked.

"Sir, it's ten-thirty on a Monday," Spinelli pointed out.

"All right, I'll let you in. I have to shower and get dressed," Robbie explained.

"Of course," Spinelli nodded as the door opened and he hopped down inside the Lair.

"Have a seat, there's cake in the fridge," the former villain said before heading to the bathroom. Spinelli shook his head and took a seat in the big fuzzy orange recliner. It usually got fuzzies all over his suit but today he just didn't care. Patterson had been running everybody ragged with the news that a possible Ministry attack was due to hit any minute. Personally Spinelli figured the guy just liked to keep everybody on their toes. He could hear the shower shut off and then he heard something else. Something that didn't sound right. He pulled his weapon and quickly scoped around the room. Pinpointing the noise at the ground level entrance, he quickly used Robbie's scope machine to determine what was outside.

"Sweet Mother," he murmured as three heavily armed men were attempting to drill their way in through the lock. Quickly he rushed over to the bathroom and spoke to Robbie through the door.

"We've got intruders at the back door. They're trying to drill the lock on the door," Spinelli told him.

"Then they'll be unpleasantly surprised when they find out that I welded the door shut. That and when they reach the third layer of steel…" he never got to finish as the alarms inside the Lair went off and there was a sudden dip in the power.

"I electrified the door," Robbie explained as he exited the bathroom.

"Get on the phone and call for back up. I'm not sure that will stop them. They may just use their assault weapons," Spinelli told him.

"No need to panic. When the power dips, the phone automatically dials Chief Dooright. Back up is already on the way," Robbie seemed incredibly calm despite the situation.

"You had this planned out didn't you?" Spinelli asked.

"Oh I did. One can never be too prepared when dealing with those that think they are more devious than you," the former villain smirked. The FBI agent wasn't sure if he had more respect for Robbie or if he should be more afraid of him. Both looked up as they could hear the sounds of sirens approaching.

"Shall we go topside and watch the show?" Robbie asked as he headed for the exit. Spinelli holstered his weapon and followed him. They could hear the sounds of the police ordering the men to drop their weapons and just as they were reaching the surface, the sound of gunfire.

"We need to get out there and help," Spinelli said.

"Aren't you the one who mention assault rifles? Besides Chief Dooright brings the SWAT team. They are far from outnumbered or outgunned," Robbie said, just as the gunfire stopped and Chief Dooright yelled for the all clear.

"Now let's see who are unfriendly visitors were," the former villain said.

To Be Continued…


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Seems as though Agent Patterson was right," Chief Dooright remarked as the SWAT Team cordoned off the area as a crime scene.

"I suppose he was," Spinelli shook his head and looked at the three men who were full of holes. The coroner would have no trouble determining the cause of death.

"I'm guessing that Patterson wanted to talk to me about the possibility of this happening?" Robbie asked.

"Yes. There was an uptick in chatter and he worried that you'd be the first target," the FBI agent said before pulling out his phone and dialing his superior.

"We heard the gunshots. Everybody ok?" Sportacus asked from behind the crime scene tape. He stood there with Stephanie, who seemed visibly distressed.

"We're all fine but you guys are going to want to come with me. If Robbie was the first target, you guys will be next," Dooright said.

"Point taken. I'll get Stephanie over to your office," Sportacus could see the presence of the guns and blood was disturbing his bride to be and they quickly left the scene.

"That poor kid is going to be scarred for life," Robbie said.

"Yes, I fear so," Dooright shook his head.

"I hope not because as long as the Ministry is around, they will make LazyTown a number one priority," Spinelli told them as he got off the phone.

"Why are we so important?" Robbie asked.

"Well you might not have been before but you pissed them off so now, it's anybody's guess as to how this all shakes out," Spinelli said.

"Fabulous," Dooright muttered before handing the scene over to the FBI and dismissing the SWAT team. He pulled out his cell phone and called Milford. The former Mayor agreed to meet with the current Mayor later in the day to discuss their options. It was an uncharacteristic thing to do but if anyone had experience dealing with crazies, it was Mayor Meanswell.

Meanwhile back at Ministry headquarters, five men, once again called a meeting at the semicircular table.

"It seems we have underestimated our opponents," the first man said.

"The attack was ill conceived to begin with," the second man griped.

"Hardly. Robbie still lives on the edge of town and the three of them should have been able to kill him with little effort," the third man pointed out.

"Except he was prepared," the second man told him.

"It matters not, now. They will undoubtedly move Robbie to a different location, one not so well protected. Our snipers could take him out with no problem now. The bigger problem will be Sportacus and his little pink mistress," the fourth man spoke up.

"Agreed," the fifth man chimed in.

"We have to plan this carefully. We do it wrong and he goes down as a martyr. We need the blue suited boob to go down in a shambles," the first man said.

"An excellent idea but how? We cannot use his affair with the pink one after it has been exposed for what it was," the third man told them.

"True but perhaps embarrassment will be enough. Could our inside man sneak a camera into the airship?" The second man asked.

"He tampered with the airship before, I don't see why not," the fourth man said.

"Time for a little sex, lies, and videotape, gentlemen," the fifth man smirked.

To Be Continued…


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"I think you all know why you are here," Chief Dooright said as he took a seat behind his desk.

"I think we don't need to rehash that," Robbie smirked.

"Yes, quite," Agent Patterson gave him a look before Chief Dooright continued as if they had not said anything.

"My guess is the next attempt will be very soon and we'll get caught off guard. I want everyone who is in their sights to be in protective custody as of this moment," he said.

"Why would we get caught off guard?" Robbie asked.

"We all know that the airship disaster was used to cover up the real target, Rottenella. I'm fairly certain that no one in this room wants to bury anymore police officers. That being said, now that their first plan failed, they will shift targets," Agent Patterson looked over at Stephanie and Sportacus.

"You think we'll be next?" Sportacus asked.

"To be perfectly honest, I'm surprised you weren't first. After all you two are the softer targets," Patterson said.

"Exsqueeze me? They are not the softer targets. I'm sure the new airship is loaded with new safety features and alarms. He's a freaking hero, for cripes sake," Robbie pointed out.

"Yes but you know how they think and you don't have a fiancée," Dooright said.

"They are right," Sportacus admitted.

"I'm not some delicate flower. I can take care of myself," Stephanie spoke up.

"We aren't saying you couldn't. The thing to worry about is a kidnapping or very public assassination attempt," Patterson explained.

"So we're just supposed to stay cooped up somewhere? For how long?" Sportacus asked.

"Cooped up, yes. As for how long I could not say," the FBI agent said.

"Well wherever they are going I should not go," Robbie told them.

"Agreed. The last thing we need is for them to get all three of you at once," Dooright nodded.

"Well Stephanie and I could stay in the airship. Robbie is correct. I had the builders put in more security and alarms so no one should be able to access anything without a verbal match and the password which has been set in my native tongue," Sportacus explained.

"You're covered then. As for Robbie…" Dooright partially hated to remove him from his lair given the fact that he could better protect himself there with all of his gadgets.

"He'll have to bunk with me at our headquarters. Agents are there around the clock and they are heavily armed," Patterson said.

"Do I have to?" Robbie asked.

"It's the best plan we have until somebody digs us out a hole and builds a concrete bunker," Dooright pointed out.

"Ugh," Robbie muttered.

"All right, I'll have officers escort you to your homes to pack anything you need and then off to your respective safe houses. Good luck everyone. I have a meeting with the Mayor," Dooright gave a slight smile before standing and grabbing his briefcase. Agent Patterson walked with Robbie outside as Officer McCarthy escorted Sportacus and Stephanie to the apartment.

"I have a bad feeling Patterson. A few bad feeling," Robbie said as they climbed into the car.

"I know what you mean," Patterson said.

To Be Continued…


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sportacus and Stephanie sat at the airship's kitchen table, eating their healthy dinner that the hero had whipped up in absolute silence. Stephanie hadn't said much since they had returned to the airship after the meeting. It had been a long day because of that and the hero worried that if they could not hold a conversation soon he'd go insane. However he just didn't know what to say and that was the ultimate problem.

"Man standing under airship, deploy defenses?" The nice voiced computer interrupted the silence. Sportacus wiped his mouth with his napkin and got up from the table, quickly excusing himself.

"Zoom in and run facial recognition," Sportacus said. The computer quickly did as it was told and the face popped up on the screen.

"Facial recognition complete. Man's identity confirmed. Milford Meanswell, former Mayor and Stephanie's Uncle," the computer told him.

"Extend ladder and let him proceed," Sportacus smiled. Maybe a visit from her Uncle would cheer Stephanie up. The ladder dropped, Milford climbed aboard, and the computer quickly hauled him up into the airship.

"Evening, I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Milford smiled.

"We were just finishing dinner, Mr. Mayor," Sportacus smiled back.

"Oh please call me Milford. I've told you a hundred times," the former politician said. Sportacus nodded and asked,

"So what brings you here?"

"I just finished my meeting with the current Mayor and Chief Dooright and I thought you might want to know the results," he said.

"Wow you guys were talking for a long time," Sportacus remarked as he noted Stephanie still had yet to say anything or even acknowledge her Uncle's presence. She'd stopped eating and was just kind of staring off into space.

"Well we had some politics to run through first. The new Mayor wants everything done by the book and he wasn't very enthusiastic about me sitting in on what he considered was a Top Secret meeting with the Police Chief," Milford explained.

"I see," Sportacus nodded.

"Well maybe he didn't like being treated as if he had no idea what he was doing," Stephanie's first words in as many hours and they were acidic.

"I was just there to offer advice. I cannot and did not try to tell him what to do. He and Chief Dooright came up with a plan which they wanted me to share with you," Milford gave her a look, unsure of why she was behaving that way. Sportacus wasn't sure what to say but again the computer came to his rescue.

"Frequency scan detected. Attempt to hack Wireless Network in progress. Network Security engaging hacker and tracing source," the computer announced. Quickly Sportacus raced to the control console and looked at the panels.

"Signal originating from Gladys' house. Suspicious in nature as neither Pixel nor Amanda's coding is appearing," the computer told him.

"Someone is trying to make it look like its Pixel or Amanda. Shut down the Network," Sportacus told the computer.

"Compliance," came the reply. The signal on the control console indicating the Wireless Network was up and running shut off.

"Placing a call to Chief Dooright. Police personnel shall be dispatched to the Gizmo Residence," the computer said.

"Good. With any luck, they'll capture our hacker and no one will have gotten hurt," Sportacus said. The entire transaction had made Stephanie sit up and take notice. The airship's sophistication had increased more than tenfold and here someone was trying to hack into it.

"Thanks Heavens. Good thing your ship has all these controls," Milford said. He'd hardly understood most of what the machine was saying but he was glad whoever it was hadn't gotten in.

"Yes it is. Unfortunately, now we wait to see what happens with the Chief. While we wait, why don't you tell us the plan?" Sportacus asked.

To Be Continued…


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Look who we found trying to hack into Sportacus' network," Officer Callahan shook his head as Pixel exited the house trying to figure out why the police had his mother's house surrounded.

"A spy for the Ministry?" Pixel asked.

"I would say so considering I liberated him of this," Sam held up a not so nice looking automatic weapon.

"Good grief," Pixel's eyes went wide.

"I was hoping you'd consider doing the Chief a favor," Callahan said as the arrested man was tossed into the back of the police car after being knocked unconscious. It wasn't standard protocol but they were afraid he'd bite down on that fake tooth full of poison before they could get anything out of him.

"Anything for the Chief," the Gizmo Guy smiled.

"Can you decipher this gobbledygook he has on his computer?" Callahan wanted to know.

"With pleasure. Maybe I can back trace it to the source and hack into the mainframe," Pixel sounded really eager.

"You think you could do that?" The Officer asked.

"I'd need my better half to help but I'm sure we could," he said.

"Then see if your lovely wife would join you down at police headquarters. We don't want them tracking it back to your mom's house, if you catch my drift," Callahan told him.

"Agreed," Pixel nodded before heading back inside to fetch Amanda. Officer Callahan whipped out his cell phone and called the airship.

"Incoming phone call from Officer Callahan," the computer relayed.

"Put it on speaker," Sportacus ordered.

"Compliance," the computer said.

"Hello?" The officer asked.

"Hi Callahan, you're on speaker. I'm here with Stephanie and Milford," Sportacus said.

"Hello everybody. I have good news. We captured the bugger trying to get into your system. Pixel and Amanda intend to decipher and attempt to hack back into the Ministry's mainframe. I'll be alerting the FBI and maybe they have some nerds who can help too," Callahan explained.

"I'm sure Pixel would take that as an insult," Milford chuckled.

"The nerd part or asking for the FBI's help?" The officer joked.

"Both," Stephanie giggled.

"On a more serious note, Chief Dooright would like to see Mr. Meanswell if he could," Callahan changed his tone slightly.

"On my way," Milford smiled. He quickly hugged Stephanie and shook Sportacus' hand before leaving the airship. The computer retracted the ladder after his disembarked and with that the phone call with Officer Callahan ended.

"Do you really think the plan will work?" Stephanie asked as she helped her fiancé clean up the dinner dishes.

"I don't know but catching that Ministry hacker does change things," Sportacus said.

"I'm sorry," Stephanie suddenly said.

"For what?" The above average hero asked.

"Being treated like I can't take care of myself kind of ruined our evening. I mean I guess I just took offense more than I thought I would," the pink one admitted.

"Hey, I get it. Everyone just wants to protect you after what happened is all. I know that pity isn't exactly high up there on your wish list but they just want you safe and this morning's little even at Robbie's made them nervous," the hero stopped what he was doing and pulled her in for a hug.

"Yes this morning was not fun but I know what will cheer me up…" her tone changed and immediately Sportacus noticed.

"Well I suppose that since we have to wait for a phone call to see about Pixel's progress, we have plenty of time on our hands and not much to do…" he smirked. Soon the dishes were forgotten as Stephanie planted a rather hot kiss on the hero. The computer didn't even wait for a command for the bed as it dutifully sucked in the dinner table and extended the sleeping platform.

To Be Continued…


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Sweet nibblets," Amanda rubbed her eyes as she stared at the computer screen. She and Pixel had been at it all night looking for a backdoor somewhere into the Ministry's servers.

"What time is it?" Pixel asked.

"Time for your four a.m. Mountain Dew," Officer Callahan strode into the room, a pair of twenty ounce bottles in his hands.

"I'm going to need more than that to stay awake much longer," Amanda smirked.

"Oh there is plenty more where this came from. The local Seven-Eleven is donating as much of it as you need," the officer smirked back.

"Well bless their little Slurpee machines," Pixel chuckled as he took the proffered drink.

"So how is it going?" The officer asked.

"We're getting there. Multiple firewalls along with someone on the other end who likes to use different code languages," Amanda said.

"In English?" Callahan wondered.

"Which part?" She asked.

"All of it," Callahan said. Amanda looked at Pixel, who smiled and said,

"They are blocking our access with different versions of code. So far they have used HTML, C plus plus, and a nasty little version of Java. They thought that even if you were smart enough to break through one firewall, or blockade, with one language you wouldn't know the other languages. But then again they never dealt with us."

"That's right baby," Amanda winked at him.

"Well I'll let your little love fest continue then. Lord knows I have no idea what you're up to," Callahan shook his head and walked away.

"Hey hey I think I've got something," Pixel said.

"What is it?" Amanda asked, looking over his shoulder. She'd been writing a program to feed them information while Pixel had been hacking through the last firewall.

"They've routed something through a server but then it doubles back on itself," he looked at it as if he could not understand what was going on.

"How is that even possible? With a circular reference like that it wouldn't function properly," his wife said.

"I know but yet it exists. Wait a minute…" Pixel continued to jam away on the keyboard and finally he discovered what was going on.

"They open the reference only when information is requested then it is closed as soon as the data transfers through. So the information on this laptop doesn't transfer back to the server unless a certain sequence of keys is entered. My guess is that this is a very sophisticated password system. Only if the person at the computer knows the server code can access it," Pixel was afraid they'd hit a dead end after hacking through multiple firewalls and other attempts to keep them out of the enemy's system.

"Looks like the jig is up," Amanda pointed out as the screen began to flash a warning telling them that whoever was on the other end had discovered their intrusion.

"Crap. They'll lock us out if we don't do something quick," Pixel said working the keys on the keyboard quickly.

"Use a worm and then we can get back in later," she suggested.

"The Trojan Horse disguising us worked pretty well so a worm can't hurt," he chuckled as he pounded the keys. Suddenly the warnings stopped and the screen opened up to another platform.

"We're in!" Pixel smirked.

"That seemed way too easy. No way whoever is on the other end just let us in especially since they knew we were working our way in," Amanda seemed leery. Then a large window popped up and said,

"Unit will self-destruct in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1." A shower of sparks erupted from the machine and it fried itself.

"Son of a bitch!" Pixel slammed his fist down on the table.

"Well I guess we'd best go interrogate our hacker and see what he has to offer. After all, he can't bite down on that tooth anymore," Amanda said. Pixel hated to admit defeat though.

"Not just yet. I planted the worm and had it send the information back to your laptop. Let's see if we can't get in a different way," he winked.

To Be Continued…


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The morning found LazyTown in good spirits. Pixel had managed to worm his way into the servers via the backdoor that he and Amanda had created. They discovered the true purpose for the hackers visit and they started to feed the server a giant spam bomb whenever it tried to access anything that contained Sportacus's name, Stephanie's name, or Robbie's name along with any mention of LazyTown in general.

The Chief had been incredibly impressed and he gave the FBI a heads up as to what was going on. Agent Patterson promised to be right over as he had some questions for the two intrepid computer whizzes. Mrs. Dooright was dropping off breakfast as the Agent pulled into the lot. He quickly entered the police station and found Pixel and Amanda stuffing themselves with the Mrs. Chief's pancakes.

"Sugar rush," Dooright explained.

"Explains the giant bag of Mountain Dew bottles I saw outside," Patterson chuckled. The Chief nodded and allowed the Agent to approach the two gorging themselves.

"I need to know the particulars of what you were able to do and how that works for us," Patterson said.

"Oh we've got particulars. How would you like to know The Ministry's Headquarters address? Or what the exact plan for LazyTown was?" Pixel took a breath as he squeezed more syrup onto his pancakes.

"Have you guys ever considered working the for the FBI's Tech Division?" Patterson was over the moon.

"But then who would help the Chief out?" Amanda asked knowing full well that in this tiny town they were the only ones with enough computer experience to do what they had done.

"Hey now, I saw them first," Dooright smirked.

"All right well if we ever need your services, can I at least give you a call?" The agent asked.

"That would be fine. I'll work up some consulting fee numbers and get back to you," Pixel smirked.

"Sounds reasonable. Although I could just pay you in caffeine," Patterson chuckled.

"As much as I love Pepsi and all of her products, they don't pay the bills," Amanda pointed out. He nodded before Pixel began going over the details of what they had discovered.

"They intended to shame Stephanie and Sportacus and then while everyone was focused on the scandal, kill Robbie. It's actually quite diabolical, really," the FBI agent said.

"It is but definitely not the best they've come up with," Dooright pointed out.

"True but often the simplest plan is the best. I have an idea though and I wanted to run it passed everyone before we enact it. By everyone I also mean our three targets," Patterson told them.

"What are you thinking?" Pixel asked.

"Well you've opened a gateway into the server. What if you planted false information to make them believe that they had information that would allow them the perfect opportunity to strike?" Patterson wanted to know.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Amanda asked.

"Because it's our best option to get the bad guys, that's why," Dooright admitted.

"Probably. Our one and only shot at this. We won't get another one," Patterson said.

"All right. Let's call a meeting at the airship. The less people know about the plan the better if it is going to work," the Chief went over to his phone and quickly placed a phone call to Sportacus. The phone rang and rang and rang before he got the computer replying that both occupants were indisposed at the moment and would call him back. Finding that odd, the Chief immediately dialed again. This time it was picked up by a rather out of breath Sportacus.

"Everything ok up there?" The Chief asked.

"Peachy, just finished our morning workout," if anyone had been around to see what was going on in the airship, they would have seen Stephanie's face turn as pink as her hair.

"Gotcha. Can Agent Patterson and I have a meeting with you two in about an hour?" Dooright wanted to know completely oblivious.

"Yes, absolutely. See you then," he rushed off the phone and quickly dragged Stephanie into the shower. They had a mess to clean up in the airship and they both needed to be ready for whatever the Chief had in store for them.

"This isn't exactly how I pictured our lazy morning going," Stephanie admitted as they rushed through bathing.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise," Sportacus chuckled.

To Be Continued…


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Two days later, the rain lightly fell on LazyTown as Miss Busybody rushed around getting the last minute preparations done. Everyone was all in a tizzy putting up the tents and getting the chairs ready out in the middle of the sports field. The whole town was going to show up for this event and most people grew concerned as the skies grew even darker.

"Looks like the weather won't cooperate," Sportacus shuffled his feet as the tailor made some last minute adjustments to his tuxedo.

"The weather is the least of our problems if I can't get this to look right," the tailor, Mr. Brown, chuckled. Sportacus gave a slight chuckle and stopped moving. He knew there was a lot more at stake but he couldn't say a word.

"Are you all set?" Milford asked as he exited the kitchen and came into the living room of his home. He looked the above average hero up and down and realized how fitting the suit was.

"Not yet, Milford," Mr. Brown admitted.

"Couldn't go a size up?" The former Mayor wanted to know.

"And cover up the man and the muscle that is Sportacus, no," Brown deadpanned. Milford nodded while Sportacus blushed.

"I certainly hope the missus is having more luck," Brown shook his head. That last statement caused both of the other men in the room to look at each other.

Over at the Chief's house, Robbie was getting ready himself with the help of the other Mr. Brown.

"So you just let him call you that?" Robbie asked.

"He kind of wears the pants in our relationship. Besides I did say I would be the one to take his name," Brown admitted.

"You don't wear a skirt I reckon," Robbie lifted an eyebrow.

"Goodness no. But I do wear the fanny pack with the coupons when we go to the grocery store," the tailor said as he was finishing up the hem on Robbie's pants.

"Ah I see. So how is it you two got to know each other? After all, tailoring is really a dying art," Robbie said.

"We met at the annual conference just outside of Sheboygan. Let's just say, he was dressed to impress and I could not resist," Brown chuckled. Robbie tried to ponder that while the man finished up his work.

"You look fabulous," the tailor beamed.

"Well thanks. Who's next?" Robbie asked.

"Everyone is all set. Off you go. I'm heading over to Pixel's to see how the dresses are coming," Brown smiled and quickly took off for the Gizmo Guy's house.

"Well I guess this isn't too bad," Robbie gave himself a once over.

"Looks great," Patterson said.

"Well at least if I die, I'll be well dressed," the former villain heaved a sigh.

"Buck up and lets head over to Milford's," Chief Dooright said. Robbie nodded and the little group headed over.

"Is this really what we should be doing? I mean this isn't even my dress," Stephanie said as Gladys tried to help the pink one get ready.

"You love him don't you?" The elder lady asked.

"Yes," Stephanie nodded.

"You've been putting this off right?" Gladys wanted to know.

"Yes, mostly because of the recent circumstances," the pink one admitted.

"He's good to you?" Gladys continued questioning.

"Of course," Stephanie sighed.

"I'm guessing he's good in bed otherwise you two wouldn't be doing it like little bunnies," the elderly lady's words made Stephanie turn bright red.

"Mom!" Amanda shook her head.

"What I can't be curious? Besides how do you explain that love bite, I'm trying to cover up?" Gladys asked. Amanda held a hand to her mouth and started to laugh.

"It's not funny," Stephanie said, the deep blush on her face getting deeper.

"But it is. I never pictured the two of you, you know being kinky," Amanda couldn't help but continue laughing and by now Trixie was rolling over on the sofa, being mindful of her dress.

"What? We… I…" Stephanie was getting all flustered.

"All right, let's not get her all worked up, after all they can get as kinky as they want after the ceremony," Gladys said. Trixie at this point fell off the sofa, still laughing. Stephanie could not hide her embarrassment.

"You ready?" Amanda asked, taking a slightly more serious tone.

"As ready as I can be," the pink one admitted.

"Well you didn't have your bachelorette party so this was as close as we could get," the wheelchair bound woman smirked.

"Thanks a lot," Stephanie said.

"All righty, let's get you married," Gladys smiled.

To Be Continued…


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The rain started to come down heavier just as Mr. Brown arrived to see how the girls were doing. He complimented Gladys on her work and quickly pointed out that they would need a nice big hat to keep everybody dry unless they had a limo. Amanda said that Sam was bringing over the wheelchair van and that it would have to do. Just as she finished saying that, the SWAT Team trainer pulled up and rushed inside.

"You sure picked a day to have this shindig," Sam teased, knowing full well what was going on.

"Well I think it's quite appropriate considering the two of us are getting married in this weather," Stephanie sighed. She thought back to the day that he'd come to find her. It had been another birthday but it would be one she would never forget.

Everyone in the room looked at her as is she was crazy. They never knew the full story of what had happened that night. She'd simplified it so people would stop asking questions.

"Whatever you say, Pinky," Trixie smirked and shoved her toward the door.

"Let's get this show on the road," Amanda smiled. Quickly the group loaded up into the wheelchair van and headed for the tents that had been set up.

"You've done a wonderful job Bessie," Milford smiled.

"Yes I must say that I think Stephanie will think this is perfect," Sportacus smiled.

"We appreciate both of you sacrificing your dreams for this day," Patterson spoke up.

"If it makes LazyTown safe, then there isn't more the two of us would ask for," the above average hero said.

"Don't you just wish that you're life wasn't constantly for the good of other people? What about you?" Robbie asked.

"I was born into this life and I am only lucky that Stephanie wishes to share it with me," the blue elf replied. Robbie looked at him and shook his head. Even in the one moment it would be all right for them to be selfish, they could not be.

"Be on your toes boys, the guests are arriving," Dooright said. People began coming into the large tent, folding down their umbrellas.

"You think the weather will stop their duly appointed bomb making runs?" Robbie asked Patterson in a low tone.

"I highly doubt it. This is their best opportunity to get all three of you," the agent replied.

"Lovely," the former villain shook his head. Things started to progress as slowly the tiny town made their way out to the tents set up. It was the biggest day in LazyTown history and they wouldn't miss it. Meanwhile on the rooftops of nearby buildings, FBI trained snipers kept their watchful eye over the group.

"You think Patterson has finally flipped his lid?" One of the snipers asked Spinelli.

"You and I both know he's right Lebowitz," the agent smirked.

"I know. That's what makes him the boss," Lebowitz chuckled. Spinelli chuckled as well and scanned the area for anything out of place.

"Delta Three Niner," Spinelli said over the shortwave radio. They had changed their frequency from the typical one they used in an effort to prevent their transmission being picked up and then used a code that made life difficult if you didn't know how to break it.

"Delta Eight," came the reply, confirming that the frequency was still safe.

"Check that manhole just south of your position. I could have sworn I saw it move," Spinelli said.

"Roger. I already sent Emerson to check it out. Haven't heard back," the agent relayed.

"Delta Three Niner Niner," Spinelli tried to reach Emerson.

"Delta Eight Eight. Camera reveals unknown substance near surface. Requesting immediate back up. We could have a major device on our hands," Emerson came back. Quickly Spinelli sent a coded message via pager to Sam. The low tech device was hard to come by but it could not be intercepted via the airwaves. Sam felt the buzz of the pager just as the music began to play, signifying that Stephanie was on her way down the aisle. He quickly ducked out and headed for the rendezvous point.

To Be Continued…


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"We gather here today to celebrate the union of LazyTown's greatest hero and first niece. I appreciate everyone being here on such short notice and in such weather but I know that the happy couple appreciates it. I'll keep things short as we've all been waiting for this for a long time," the justice of the peace, Judge Jenkins, said. A few chuckles rippled through the crowd and he quickly began the ceremony.

While that was going on, Sam met Spinelli at the rendezvous point and the FBI agent quickly explained the dilemma.

"In the manhole huh? Any chance to see if the cover is wired to blow?" Sam asked.

"It probably isn't. Would seem like a waste of time since no one would be doing manhole work in the middle of the wedding," Spinelli offered.

"Yes well you wouldn't think that IEDs were made with milk cartons yet plenty of my buddies came home with new appliances for legs," the former Marine pointed out. Spinelli nodded.

"All right I want a bomb robot at that manhole on the double. Everybody back as far as they can without disrupting the ceremony," the agent ordered. Quickly the bomb robot was deployed.

Chief Dooright caught movement out of the corner of his eye and saw what was going on. He hoped that no one would panic or at least they would think it was part of the ceremony although he had his doubts how much longer they could hold it before mass panic set it.

"So do you Sportacus of the Island to the North, take Stephanie, the pink, to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Jenkins asked.

"I do," the hero smiled.

"And do you Stephanie take Sportacus to be your lawfully wedded husband and hero?" The judge wanted to know.

"I do," she replied.

"Than by the power invested in me by the state of…" Jenkins never finished as the robot attempting to diffuse whatever was in the manhole exploded. A larger secondary explosion soon followed rocking the wedding guests to the ground. Sportacus immediately jumped and covered Stephanie as shrapnel flew everywhere. Agent Patterson dove on top of Robbie and quickly the group took stock.

"Anybody hurt?" Sportacus asked.

"I don't think so. Time to get to the safe house!" Dooright ordered.

"Sounds like a plan," Robbie said. As soon as his words left his mouth, bullet started to pepper the tent. People who hadn't already begun to run and scream started to.

"Get these people to safety!" Dooright ordered. He removed his side arm from his coat and ran to join his men along with the FBI agents.

"We have to help these people!" Stephanie shouted as some of the guests fell bleeding. Patterson got on his phone and called for medical assistance. Sportacus scooped up a woman who had a nasty shoulder wound and raced toward the fire station where fire fighters were triaging the wounded.

"How many?" He asked, ignoring the blood on his tuxedo.

"So far half a dozen. No one too critical but I have a bad feeling it's about to get worse," the Fire Chief said. Sportacus shook his head and ran back into the fray. As he headed for the tent, he saw Stephanie trying to help someone who'd been shot in the leg. He raced toward her when suddenly his crystal blared. The fact of the matter was it had been blaring but its sudden change in tone made it more noticeable as Stephanie collapsed to the ground; the injured man she was helping went with her.

"Stephanie!" Sportacus shouted.

To Be Continued…


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Robbie saw Stephanie go down and he left Agent Patterson's side. The FBI agent looked at him like he was crazy until he saw what the former villain had seen. Quickly he joined the purple tuxedoed man and they helped Sportacus get the fallen civilian off Stephanie. There was blood on her dress and as more bullets flew, no one questioned whose it was. Grabbing both parties they high tailed it off to the fire station.

"This man is in a bad way," Agent Patterson said as the Fire Chief grabbed the man.

"How's Pinky?" Robbie asked.

"I'm all right I swear," she said.

"Whose blood is that?" Sportacus wanted to know as he watched the red liquid ruin the pink dress.

"I'm guessing it was Mr. Hobart's," she shrugged. Sportacus gave her a quick once over and determined other than some bruising from the fall, she was all right. Suddenly the gunfire outside ceased but his crystal had not stopped blaring.

"They must have the bad guys in custody," Robbie smiled. Sirens could be heard in the distance and everyone hoped it was the ambulances. Then out of nowhere Sam came running up to fire station.

"Agent Spinelli was sucked into something while he was fighting the sniper on the roof! He's just disappeared!" He explained.

"How is that possible?" Patterson wanted to know.

"Take me to where he was!" Robbie demanded. Sam nodded and he quickly started to walk away. Intrigued, Sportacus, Stephanie, and Agent Patterson followed. They reached the building that the sniper had been on the roof of and quickly climbed up to the spot via the internal staircase in the back of Mr. Bell's electronics store.

"Mr. Bell was at the wedding. Someone busted in his back door and used the stairs to gain access to the storeroom on the second floor. From there it was an easy climb up the ladder and out the roof hatch," Sam told them. They followed the same path except when it came to the ladder, Stephanie couldn't fit through without ripping it.

"It's got blood all over it anyway," she shrugged and went up anyway. The dress did tear at about the middle of her shins but it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

"Pinky, you remember that famous line that Captain Kirk often delivered?" Robbie asked as he peered around the rain soaked roof. The weather had yet to cooperate but they were already soaked so it drew little attention.

"Which one? You'll have to be more specific," Stephanie said.

"Something that only Montgomery Scott could do," Robbie told her. She looked at him.

"It's not possible," she said.

"Beam us up, Mr. Scott," the former villain finished for her as he looked about the roof surface.

"You'll have to help me. What?" Agent Patterson asked.

"They teleported back to wherever the Ministry man came from or at least I think that's what he's saying," Sam said.

"There've been rumors but I figured that's all they were," Robbie said as he noted the circular pattern burned into the roof's asphalt.

"It's not actually physically possible though. At least not with the technology we have today," Stephanie pointed out. Robbie seemed to ignore her as he felt the circle. The rain had instantly cooled the very melted roofing and he shook his head.

"Well it is technically possible but it involves a lot of radiation and it can only work for short distances. Hence there being no big push to get guinea pigs for it," Robbie said. Just then they heard the sound of a military aircraft approaching.

"I think we better get back inside and radio those fighters that there is a missing FBI agent," Sam spoke up.

"Good call. I don't want to be in this building when they start shooting," Robbie shuddered.

"You mean the Ministry is here?" Sportacus asked.

"Why do you think your crystal hasn't stopped that ruckus? The trouble is just beginning," Robbie said.

To Be Continued…


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The group quickly made their way to the fire station where they found Chief Gallivan on the phone trying to get information about the fighter jets that zoomed overhead moments ago. He knew that they had left FunTown Air Base and he quickly told them about the situation. The Commander on the other end of the line told him that his boys would not bring the aircraft down over populated areas and would try to force it to land back at the base. If that was not possible they would shoot it down over the forest.

"We've got an FBI agent hostage up there," Gallivan tried to explain.

"Let the Air Force worry about it. In the meantime, you get all the wounded to the hospital," with that the phone call ended and Gallivan looked at the group.

"That's the end of that I guess. I hope your agent can fly," the Chief said.

"To the airship!" Sportacus was off like a shot toward the hovering ship. Stephanie was hot on his heels and Robbie watched them run away.

"Safe house for you mister," Patterson instructed. Quickly they rushed the former villain away from the scene.

"What about Spinelli?" Robbie asked.

"He was a good agent but I don't have the authority to override military protocols. They will shoot that ship that hides behind the clouds down and I will have little say in the matter. I only wish that I knew how it managed to hide off the radar for so long," Patterson said.

"It probably didn't. A ship with the capabilities of "beaming" as it were would have to uncloak in order to perform the process. It might have been a blip on the radar before but once it tried to "beam" everyone up after the explosion there was no way to hide what was already being scrutinized," Robbie told him.

"I think you need to sit down with my boss and have a good long chat about what you know and don't know," the agent shook his head.

Meanwhile, Sportacus and Stephanie had climbed aboard the airship and pushed it toward the scene where the fighter jets were chasing the fleeing aircraft.

"Can we catch them?" She asked.

"I've been aching to try this out. You might want to buckle up," the hero told her. She quickly secured her seatbelt in the new co-captain chair. Sportacus hit a button that she thought read "TURBO". Suddenly the airship was blasting forward at a rate of speed that could never have been achieved by pedaling no matter how fast a hero could pedal.

"I think the answer is yes," Stephanie said as she felt the back of her head make contact with the seat's cushion.

"For faster trips to the Fatherland," Sportacus chuckled as they quickly caught up the fighters and their quarry. The ship had to measure almost a football field in width and seemed to be propelled by large fans – almost like it hovered rather than typical flight. It didn't sound as loud as they expected it to either.

"How are we going to get Spinelli aboard?" Stephanie asked, fearing that the rush to the airship wasn't completely thought out.

"I'm going to try to get close and anchor the airship to their…" he didn't get the chance as he received a radio call from one of the fighter jets.

"Sportacus stay out of our way. We've got this guy."

"Negative. I've got an FBI agent being held hostage on that ship. If you can force it to slow down I may be able to get aboard and retrieve our man," the hero radioed back.

"He must be one heck of an agent," came the reply.

"He is but we need also need information from the men on the ship. We need them alive if we are to end the cloud that hangs over LazyTown," Sportacus said.

"Well you heard the man. Let's see what we can do," the other pilot replied.

To Be Continued…


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

One of the fighters sped up and cut in front of the large ship. He again relayed the message to land or be brought down but the ship kept barreling through the sky. The second pilot did as he was instructed and fired the armor piercing bullets his machine gun possessed into the large rear end of the flying machine. There was a loud explosion and suddenly the large craft lurched. One of the fans ceased spinning and the other struggled to pick up the slack.

Sportacus brought the airship alongside the craft and anchored it to the side where the fan was broken with large magnetic clamps. He instructed Stephanie to slow their speed and then asked for the ladder to descend. Before she could wish him luck or tell him she loved him, he was gone down the rope ladder.

Warning alarms were sounding throughout the large craft and men were running about attempting to put out the fires and restart the engine, only to discover it was a losing battle. Suddenly the final alarm went out,

"Abandon ship! Abandon ship! Emergency protocol seven six dash nine is now in effect! All those caught or capture will be disavowed!" This sent the men scrambling. Their only hope of making it back to headquarters was to get to the escape pods and jettison from the larger craft.

Sportacus managed to get into the hull by a door which he assumed was used for maintenance. Once in the hallways he was met with little resistance as the men aboard were only focused on saving their own lives. Should the hero go down in the crash then part of their mission would have been completed. The blue suited elf seemed to realize this and grabbed one of the men.

"Where is Agent Spinelli? What have you done with him?"

"What makes you think he's still alive?" his quarry asked.

"Where is he?" Sportacus wanted to know. The man just pointed down the hallway where men were running towards them as the fire spewed in their direction out of a doorway. The hero watched the scene unfold and before he could do anything the man he was holding landed a solid punch to the hero's jaw. Sportacus fell to the ground and let go of the man and his quarry ran for his own life.

"Looks like you could use a lift," a familiar voice said, as a hand extended to help him up off the floor.

"Spinelli," the hero smiled slightly as he rubbed his jaw. He noted that the agent was not using his left arm at all. It hung limply by his side and blood was leaving his mouth, a sure sign of a much larger problem, given the fact that he was also wheezing.

"We better get you checked out," the FBI agent smirked. Sportacus realized that the agent had donned a uniform that matched the ones of the men running away from the fire.

"This way," the hero stood and they ran toward the door he'd used to gain entry. Quickly they exited the door but Spinelli stopped at the ladder. He could not climb it with only one good arm.

"Platform!" Sportacus yelled. He then grabbed the agent by the good arm and pulled him around his front.

"Hold on," the hero said as he climbed the ladder, Spinelli's back to the rungs, while the wounded agent grabbed the hero's clothes for dear life.

"You can't tell anyone what we've done here," Spinelli said.

"Trust me, I won't," Sportacus smirked. They made it to the platform and it retracted. The ladder came up as well and Stephanie disengaged the magnetic clamps.

"Get us away from this thing as quickly as you can," Sportacus said, taking his seat and calling the fighter pilots to try and follow the pods as they detached from the ship. They acknowledged and Sportacus quickly turned the airship back toward LazyTown.

To Be Continued…


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

An ambulance met the airship and Sportacus used the new docking device that deflated the ship slightly so it could be closer to the ground. This saved Agent Spinelli the embarrassment of being carried down the ladder and allowed the decontamination team up to the airship to check out the radiation levels. Sportacus and Stephanie were also rushed off to be checked for radiation given the fact that Agent Spinelli should have been glowing green when they held the monitor up to him.

Luckily, all the couple needed was a decontamination shower and scrub while Agent Spinelli would have to be given medication and treated for his condition. After the scrub down, though, all three of them had to have their clothes incinerated.

"Mr. Brown will be upset about the suit," Sportacus said.

"I'm sure he will be," Stephanie nodded while she checked out her jumpsuit that she'd been given. She felt naked with it on because her undergarments had to be incinerated too, leaving basically nothing to the imagination in the slightly snug jump suit. Sportacus suggested that they scoot back to her place and get fresh outfits when Chief Dooright appeared on the scene.

"The pods that escaped from the large craft were able to get away but the large craft is down and on fire. They have crews trying to put out the flames as we speak," he explained.

"What about any of the bad guys?" Sportacus asked.

"Those on the pods got away. Those not so lucky are dead or dying. No use to us, I'm afraid. However Agent Patterson is trying his best to salvage what they can out of the wreckage," Dooright said.

"If they have one of those there has to be a good possibility that they have more, doesn't there?" Stephanie asked.

"Yes. That's what makes me nervous. There is no way to protect everyone with those things flying around," the Chief shook his head.

"I think we need to hold a meeting with the Air Force," Sportacus pointed out.

"I think you're right. Agent Patterson said that they are on their way here and they are bringing the National Guard with them," Dooright told them.

"Excellent. Then let Stephanie and myself get some real clothes on and we'll join the meeting. After all, we're two-thirds of the reason that the Ministry is here," the above average hero said.

"Another excellent point. I'll have Robbie brought as well. He seems to know more than he first let on," the Police Chief gritted his teeth.

"He probably thought it was a little fantastical. I mean let's be honest if you said that the Ministry had a way to "beam" people around and a large flying vehicle that was cloaked, wouldn't you think he was nuts?" Stephanie asked.

"Point," Dooright chuckled.

"I just wish we could have gotten one of those pods. They would have given us a location to investigate for the Ministry's Headquarters," Sportacus said.

"That would have been helpful but for now, let's work with what we've got. No one died in the shootout and you two are finally married," Sam walked up to the group.

"That is excellent news Sam," Dooright smiled.

"Well the real reason I came over here is because Agent Patterson called. He has something he needs people to see," the SWAT Team instructor explained.

"Can I please put some real clothe son first?" Stephanie asked.

"By all means. I don't think you're going to want to trek to the crash site in that," Sam gave her a wink.

To Be Continued…


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Huge shout outs to JesusFreak93 and Gary LeVox Girl for reviewing to the last chapter! You have no idea what it means to see that people are still reading! Thanks!**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

Once changed, Stephanie and Sportacus met up with Sam who had grabbed a police Jeep and they made their way down the access road in the forested park where the large craft had landed. He explained that the Chief had gone ahead with Robbie and that the National Guard was arriving as well. Luckily the rain had been helpful in keeping the fire contained but the forest firefighters were keeping a perimeter around the flying machine to avoid catching the entire forest on fire.

"So what does Patterson have for us?" Sportacus asked.

"I don't know but we have to get out here and hoof it," Sam said. The downed vehicle had not crashed near the road and the Jeep would be of no use to them through the thick forest. They quickly donned rain gear and left the comfort of the warm and dry Jeep.

It was at least a twenty minute hike due to the fact that the wind and the rain slowed them down. The rain caused the ground to be very muddy and the carpet of pine needles and cones was doing nothing to help things along.

"Not exactly a honeymoon huh?" Sam chuckled as he tried to get his gait into some sort of rhythm. He looked over at Sportacus and he was struggling as well. Prosthetics had come a long way but considering they were wearing the wrong kind for a trip like this it wasn't helpful.

"No, not exactly," the hero said.

"You guys have any ideas on what you were going to do for a honeymoon?" Sam asked.

"Well we hadn't really thought about it seeing as we were still in danger from the Ministry but I had kind of hoped to take Stephanie to my homeland. She has never been and I haven't been back since I arrived in LazyTown. Not that I have any family left to visit but my childhood home has been kept in good condition awaiting my arrival. We could stay there and not be hounded by the media," the hero explained.

"Hounded by the media?" The SWAT Team instructor was confused.

"Our existence in our home town is very limited. My father was a great hero but hardly ever around when I was growing up. When my father turned eighteen, my grandfather retired and my father left to take his place as hero of LazyTown. I was to do the same as the generations before me but it was not to be. My mother grew ill shortly before my eighteenth birthday. Father returned home to take care of her with the intention that as soon as my mother was well I would be sent to take his place. Well my mother never really got better. She spent her remaining years confined to the house. One day my father left to pick up her medication and he never returned home. I was then left to care for my mother but she passed the next year. With my family gone, I left for LazyTown," Sportacus confessed.

"What happened to your Dad?" Sam asked.

"There was a robbery at the pharmacy. He tried to step in but the crooks shot him. He died before paramedics could arrive," the hero told him.

"Good Lord," the former Marine shook his head. Stephanie halted in her tracks ahead of them as she reached the edge of the forest where the craft had destroyed the trees. She grabbed Sportacus' hand and gave it a squeeze.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Nothing, I just thought you needed it," she smiled slightly. He smiled back.

"Ah there you are!" Patterson walked over to them, something made of metal that had been terribly mangled in his hands.

"What is that?" Sam asked.

"The key to finding the Ministry, come," he jerked his head over to the tent that had been set up to sift through evidence. They quickly walked underneath, glad to be temporarily out of the rain.

"Ok, explain what I'm looking at," Stephanie said.  
"The piece I held in my hands was the protective cover for the main computer's hard drive," Patterson explained.

"That can't be good," Sportacus shook his head.

"Ordinarily, I would say you were right but the techs pulled a mostly damage free hard drive out of the ship. We could have information leading to the whereabouts of the Ministry's headquarters in a week," Patterson smirked.

To Be Continued…


End file.
